COLLEGE RADIO RECAP WEEK 24

It appears our new normal at a CMJ led College Radio  is a reporting body just under 200. So far this year there have been 376 stations report to CMJ. In all of last year there were 414 stations. Keep in mind at one point the reporting body was in the 700's. I am not sure we need 700 but I feel like a reporting week under 200 does not show accurately what is being played at college radio. I would feel a lot better with a reporting body of 300 a week.  But this is the college radio we are stuck with for now so lets look at whats going on!

Radiohead holds at #1. It is a testament to the band really. What other band could go to #1 without a single copy being sent out and without an indie working it. Very impressive. I looked back to see the last time this has happened and the closest is Yo La Tengo went #1 without an indie and the last Radiohead went #1 without hard copies but I could not find any record that had both of those qualifiers.

Lets take a look at the top 20 to see what we can expect in the next few weeks

TW	LW	2W	PK	WKS	Artist	Recording	Label
1	1	2	1	6	RADIOHEAD	A Moon Shaped Pool	XL
2	4	6	2	5	JAMES BLAKE	The Colour In Anything	Republic
3	2	1	1	7	KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD	Nonagon Infinity	ATO
4	11	17	4	4	KRISTIN KONTROL	X-Communicate	SUB POP
5	6	9	5	4	TWIN PEAKS	Down In Heaven	Grand Jury
6	5	7	5	5	FRUIT BATS	Absolute Loser	Easy Sound
7	3	3	3	10	M83	Junk	Mute
8	130	-	8	2	PAUL SIMON	Stranger To Stranger	Concord
9	7	5	5	6	WHITE LUNG	Paradise	Domino
10	9	11	9	4	MODERN BASEBALL	Holy Ghost	Run For Cover
11	8	8	6	7	PITY SEX	White Hot Moon	Run For Cover
12	23	-	12	2	CLAYPOOL LENNON DELERIUM	Monolith Of Phobos	ATO
13	26	12	12	5	KAYTRANADA	99.9%	XL
14	151	-	14	2	KILLS	Ash And Ice	Domino
15	12	10	10	6	EAGULLS	Ullages	Partisan
16	15	39	15	3	CAR SEAT HEADREST	Teens Of Denial
17	168	-	17	2	WHITNEY	Light Upon The Lake	Secretly Canadian
18	21	147	18	3	GOLD PANDA	Good Luck And Do Your Best	City Slang
19	10	13	9	8	NOTHING	Tired Of Tomorrow	Relapse
20	14	4	1	11	PARQUET COURTS	Human Performance	Rough Trade

Now lets limit it just to contenders. 

TW	LW	2W	PK	WKS	Artist	Recording	Label
1	1	2	1	6	RADIOHEAD	A Moon Shaped Pool	XL
2	4	6	2	5	JAMES BLAKE	The Colour In Anything	Republic
4	11	17	4	4	KRISTIN KONTROL	X-Communicate	SUB POP
5	6	9	5	4	TWIN PEAKS	Down In Heaven	Grand Jury
8	130	-	8	2	PAUL SIMON	Stranger To Stranger	Concord
12	23	-	12	2	CLAYPOOL LENNON DELERIUM	Monolith Of Phobos	ATO
14	151	-	14	2	KILLS	Ash And Ice	Domino
17	168	-	17	2	WHITNEY	Light Upon The Lake	Secretly Canadian

Whitney and the Kills are just starting out but to start out so high is a good sign for both of them.  Remember looking back at the Kills last week they have never taken the #1 spot.  After Radiohead there does not seem to be any sure thing so they could have a chance. 

I kept Clayppool there only because it week 2 and they are almost top 10 but they have little to no shot at getting mass appeal. 

Paul Simon is an interesting one to me. #8 already. #1 on the AAA chart #2 on the Spinitron charts. We will know more after this week, sometimes records jump up really fast and just stall or sometimes they keep up the massive movement. I would think he is still 2 weeks away.  

Radiohead could keep #1 again next week as it shows no signs of fading on the spins chart but if someone were to take it I would think it would be James Blake or Kristin Kontrol.  I might lean towards Kristin Kontrol as its been out there less time and can still gain a bunch of core stations. James Blake seems to have the Core but is lacking in overall numbers, but it continues the climb and in the summer you can push longer than you can in the fall so It would not shock me to see them take the top spot next week. 

This week on the ADDS Tegan and Sara took the #1 ADD spot. 

This is the 4th Tegan and Sara record to take the #1 ADD spot. The first was in 2007 "The Con" with 137 ADDS.  I wish archives were available to show you the charts at that time but sadly there are not. The Con would then take #1 for 3 weeks. 

Two years later in 2009 Sainthood would take #1 most added this time with 157 adds. Sainthood would hold the number one spot for 4 weeks. 

In 2013 Tegan and Sara took #1 added again with Heartthrob with 136 ADDS. The #2 most added record that week was Local Natives and they would go on to take #1 ahead of Tegan and Sara and block them in the #2 spot. 

That is the recent history of Tegan and Sara but lets look back to before those #1 records. The record before The Con was "So Jealous" and would peak on the top 200 at #12 in 2004. 

I can't track down how it did on adds though. 

Before that it was "IF it was you" Peaked in the Mid 20's in 2002 

And their First record at College radio was in 2000 with "This Business of Art" That record appears to have peaked at #75 on the top 200. 

That is part of the beauty of college radio and how some artists become college radio artists in my opinion. Each record they took to college radio helped them grow a fan base. Each record was better than the last one arguably as well so that for sure helped. They also worked hard, doing in studios and making connections with radio stations.

What other artists were helped by their success at College radio. I am sure if we were to look back on the chart history of Death Cab For Cutie, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill we would see a similar rise. You would also see a peak and for each of them an eventual fall. All very interesting to me. 

Thanks for reading! Lets talk on twitter.